There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make your website stand out, and in fact that’s something you need to strive for. But there are some rules that you must always follow to keep visitors happy.

Mobile and Browser Compatibility

People use different browsers, so test your website to ensure compatibility with all popular browsers, and in addition your website needs to be mobile friendly. It might help to use fonts that are easy to read on desktop as well as mobile devices. There was a time when people just accessed information on their desktop computers, but that’s no longer the case and you need to adapt.

Every Page Must be Easy to Navigate

Do not assume people will find your website by clicking on the homepage: on the contrary, most people do not land on the homepage but somewhere else on the site, and that’s why each page needs to be comprehensive and with links to the rest of your website.

Other Factors to Consider

Pay attention to the “fold”, which is the area on your website that can only be seen if the site visitor scrolls down. Put as much important information on the page above the fold (without cramming).

Speaking of essential information, don’t put unnecessary items on your website like Flash videos, animated GIFs etc. unless they are absolutely essential. At the same time, there’s no need for your site to look drab. For instance you can design the “submit” buttons so they change color when the user places the cursor over it.

Finally, always test your website and perform regular maintenance. Testing shouldn’t be limited to the times when you modify the CMS or the underlying structure as it should be done anytime you change the colors, themes etc. The slightest change could affect the way people perceive your website so you must pay attention to it and the feedback later on.

Before you even think of designing your Hamilton, Ontario business website in-house you will want to consider the numerous benefits of outsourcing the task instead. Many companies want to save cash and try to design their website from scratch or will use online templates as a starting point. What happens to these businesses? They fail to garner conversions and after a few months of low sales, they close shop and blame everything on the consumers or the local market. These businesses instead need to choose a local Hamilton web design company.

Website designers know what visual cues will nudge visitors to check on a product, to click on sale banners, and to make a purchase based on convenience and others. You don’t need to hold your consumer’s hands and beg them to buy something; your website should have a strong marketing design to do that for you. Designers understand this and focus on function before anything else.

Designers Can Save You Cash

Professional website designers, like Linx Web Design Hamilton, can get your website up and running quickly but without sacrificing quality. The best part is that their designs are guaranteed to work: you’ll be seeing sales rise up instantly. This is a far cry from dead zone with no conversions taking place. You think you’re saving money when you design a website in-house but all the costs for fixing design errors and the days of negative sales will impact your business’ finances.

Designers Appreciate SEO

Search engine optimization will ensure your business is visible to the World Wide Web and designers incorporate this in their designs. When they craft your business’ website they aren’t just focusing on the details to make sales – they are also helping your site gain visitors by making sure it tops the Google searches. This is important because without their SEO expertise you could end up with a pretty site that no one even knows exists.

A lot of elements in web design have been automated so it’s easier to do, but that’s no excuse not to give it any thought. In fact, a haphazardly put-together site is likely to cause more harm than good. While innovating is essential, there are some elements in web design that must always be kept in mind no matter what the end goal is.

The mobile industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, and people now use both desktop and mobile devices to access the Internet. Your website must be optimized for smartphones and tablets as they represent a growing market share. Experts estimate that web traffic from mobile devices was at 18% in 2013 and steadily increasing. Always keep mobile design in mind as you develop your website as it’s become a major player in online marketing.

Focus on a Target Audience

When you build a website, always focus on the target audience. It’s possible to develop a website that targets everyone and generate large amounts of traffic, but usually the more refined your target audience is the greater the conversion chances. If you’re going to open an online store for instance, you may want to focus on baby products or those aimed at teens, women or men. Once you’ve achieved success with the intended target audience, you can think about expanding operations.

Analyze Website Performance

Do periodic assessments of how your website is doing especially if you’re designing or redesigning the site. It’s important you know where your website is succeeding and where it is coming up short so you can implement the proper changes that make customers happy. Your goal is to turn site visitors into customers so keep an eye on keyword rankings, bounce rates and conversion rates.

If something isn’t going right, then change that element quickly. You’ll also want to keep an eye on user feedback and what areas of the site people find useful and useless. However, don’t make changes just for the sake of it, because if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.

Build Web Pages, Not Just Sites

This is something that many tend to forget, but it’s true: it isn’t your domain name that’s going to rank, but a web page on the site. For this reason, you need to develop each page so that it’s informative and enticing.

Suppose you have a page for product X you want to rank for a particular keyword; what you need to do is provide information on that page so it generates inbound links and rank. With this approach you don’t need to worry about links landing solely on the homepage.

Websites are Marketing Tools

The purpose of your website is to promote your business, so you need to treat it just like any marketing tool. Give the site time to work, and design it in such a way that visitors find what they’re looking for. A helpful website generates a loyal customer base, which is your objective.

Websites Need to Generate Leads

No matter how you design the site, don’t lose track of the need to generate conversions that helps your business grow and prosper. If necessary, increase the call to action and entice the customer to interact with you.

One of the reasons why websites fail to live up to their potential is the tendency to focus too much on what the competition is doing. In fact, you’re better off concentrating on your website and make it better because if you follow the proper design guidelines, people will flock to your site.